Car-door.



No. 770,829. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904. H. D. SMART.

GAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

v 2 SHEBTSSHEET 1. 6 I I 5 PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

H. D. SMART.

GAR DOOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 15, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

@J-MAGWJ NiTED STATES Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT D. SMART, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR F. CUMMINGS, OF'NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CAR-DOOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 770,829, dated September 27, 1904.

Application filed January 15 1903- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT D. SMART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashua, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to car-doors, and more particularly to freight-car doors of that type which are adapted to have an inward and outward movement, as well as a sliding sidewise movement, and which when in closed position are substantially flush with the side of the car.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting and guiding a freight car door of the type referred to which is strong and durable, simple in construction, certain and reliable in operation, and which allows the car-door to be easily moved into either its closed or open position. With this and other objects in view my invention consists in the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

A preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a freight-car embodying the same. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan view illustrating the construction of the track from which the door of the car is supported and the manner in which the track is'engaged by the doorhangers. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of a guide for the lower edge of the door. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the guide illustrated in Fig. 3 detached. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of a bracket which engages the front edge of the door when the door is in closed position. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the front hanger. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the rear hanger. Fig.

Serial No. 139,115. (No model.)

8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1 looking toward the right. Fig. 9 is a similar view taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective View illustrating the construction and arrangement of the track and the two hangers.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the side of a freight-car provided with a doorway constructed to receive a sliding door-2. To the upper edge of the door 2 are rigidly secured front and rear hangers 3 and 4. These hangers comprise an angular base portion fitted upon the upper edgeof the door and an upwardly-extending portion in which are journaled the trucks 5. The rear hanger is provided with a single truck, While the front hanger is provided with two trucks. The trucks 5 rest upon the upper surface of a track 6, secured to the side of the car above the cardoor and beneath the eaves of the car. The track 6 is made in two sections to provide an opening between the sections to receive the rear hanger etwhen the car-door is in its closed position. The forward ends of the sections of the track 6 curve inwardly and are received in recesses formed in the side of the car. From the straight portions of the track-sections flanges extend upwardly and serve to guide the trucks during thesliding movement of the door along the side of the car. Projecting downwardly from the front section of the track 6 is a door-closing guide-flange 7, which is curved to correspond to the curve of the front section of the track. A similar flange 8 projects downwardly from the rear section of the track 6. Each of these flanges startsfrom a point at the rear of the curved portion of the track-section and extends for a short distance in a straight line. These portions of the flanges 7 and 8, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, are arranged out of line with each other. The base portion of the front hanger 3 is provided with an upwardly-extending projection 9, and the base portion of the rear hanger A is provided with a similar upwardlyextending projection 10. These projections are arranged, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 2, 6, and 7, to engage the flanges 7 and 8 as the door 2 is slid toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1 and move the door inwardly until it is substantially flush with the side of the car. When the door is slid from its closed position toward the right, the rear edge of the door is swung outwardly by the engagement of a projection 11, extending upwardly from the base portion of the rear hanger, with the flange 8, or, in case this projection is not provided, by the engagement of the hanger with the front end of the rear section of the track 6 or by the engagement of the truck of the hanger with the inclined wall of the recess in the side of the car. During the continued movement of the car-door to the right the front portion of the door is swung outwardly by the engagement of the front hanger with the curved portion of the front section of the track 6. The trucks on the two hangers are spaced apart a less distance than the width of the door, and in order to completely uncover. the doorway the door is moved a suflicient distance to the'right to cause the two trucks of the front hanger 3 topass onto the rear sec.- tion of the track, the provision of two trucks enabling the trucks to readily pass over the opening between the track-sections. The door-closing guide-flanges 7 and 8' being arranged out of line, the flange 8 is out of the path of the projection 9 of the front hanger, so that the flange offers no obstruction to the opening movement of the door. A fixed stop 12, secured to the side of the car in position to engage the rear edge of the door when in its open position, serves to limit the opening movement of the door.

In order to prevent the door from being accidentally closed, the rear section of the track 6 is provided with a raised portion 13, which is located just in front of the truck of the rear hanger when the door is in its open position.

In the construction above described it is to be noted that the hangers are rigidthat is, they contain no swivel or other joints, the bearings for the trucks being rigid with the hangers. The construction of the hangers is thus rendered extremely simple,-as well as strong and durable. There are no parts which are expensive to construct and arrange or which are liable to become worn, corroded, or

clogged with dirt, ice, or snow, which are serious objections to the practical use of the pivoted or swiveled construction of prior hangers. The sections of the track are arranged at the same level, so that they are easy of alinement and are both placed close to the top of the car-door. The projections from the hangers are rigid therewith and directly en gage the downwardly-projecting flanges on the track, the arrangement being such that the door is readily forced sidewise by the engagement of the hangers with the flanges. sections of the track are also of extremely simple construction, both the upwardly and The the downwardly projected flanges being inte- The traek-engral with the track-sections. gaging portions of the hangers-"are'spaced a less distance apart than the width of the door, so that the hangers are of substantially the same construction, which conduces to cheapness of manufacture, as well as to strength. and simplicity. The arrangement of the hang- During the closis accomplished under actual working condiv tions with less friction and with greater certainty than when the pivoted or swiveled constructions of prior devices are employed.

The lower edge of the door is guided by-a bracket 14, which is provided with an upwardly-extending portion, which serves to prevent the lower portion of the door from swinging away from the side of the car. The bracket 14 is also provided with an upwardlyextending guiding-flange 15, which is arranged to be engaged by a projection 16, extending downwardly from a plate 17, secured to the lower rear corner of the "door, the engagement of the projection 16 with the flange 15 serving to force the lower rear corner of the door inwardly when the door is closed and to hold this portion of the door securely in po sition substantially flush with the side of the car. The bracket 14 is secured to the side of the car by means of bolts, and in order to prevent the bracket being removed even if the bolts are withdrawn it is provided with a downwardly and inwardly extending locking projection 18, (see more particularly Fig. 1,) which is seated in a socket formed in the side of the car. This projection, as will be apparent from an inspection of the. drawings, prevents the bracket from being removed from the side of the car, so long as the bracket is engaged by the car-door, even if its securingbolts are withdrawn.

When the door is in its closed position, the curved arm of a bracket 19, secured to the edge of the doorway, projects over the front edge of the door and holds this portion of the door firmly in its closed position. The portion of the door in proximity to the bracket 19 when the door is closed is protected by a wearing-plate 20.

The door is provided with a handle 21-, by means of which it can be operated, and a metal wearing-plate 22 is secured to the side of the car and is provided with a raised portion 23 for holding the door out of contact with the side of the car during its opening and closing movements.

The construction illustrated in the drawings and above specifically described embodies my invention in the best form at present known to me; but it is to be understood that except as specifically defined in the claims my invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise embodied without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A freight-car, having, in combination, a door, a track composed of two sections secured to the car above the door at the same level, rigid front and rear hangers secured to the door carrying truck-bearings or track-engaging portions rigid with the hangers and spaced apart a less distance than the width of the door, the rear hanger being arranged to enter the space between the track-sections when the door is closed and the trucks or track-engaging portions of the front hanger being arranged to span the space between the tracksections during the opening movement of the door, door-closing guide-flanges projecting downwardly from the track and upwardlyprojecting lugs on the hangers arranged to engage the guide-flanges and move the hangers laterally on the track and the door into a position substantially flush with'the side of the car, the two guide-flanges being out of line with each other and the lugs on the hangers also being out of line with each other'and arranged to engage the guide-flanges respectively, whereby the lug on the front hanger passes by and clears the guide-flange for the rear hanger without engagement therewith during the opening movement of the door and the door can be moved a sufficient distance to completely uncover the opening in the side of the car, substantially as described.

2. A freight-car, having, in combination, a door, a track secured to the car above the door, rigid front and rear hangers secured to the door carrying truck-bearings or track-engaging portions rigid with the hangers and spaced apart a less distance than the width of the door, flanges extending upwardly from the track for guiding the hangers during the sliding movement of the door along the side of the car, door-closing guide-flanges projecting downwardly from the track, and upwardly-proj ecting lugs on the hangers arranged to engage the guide-flanges as the door approaches its closed position and move the hangers laterally on the track and the door into a position substantially flushwith the side of the car, the two guide-flanges being out of line with each other and the lugs on the hangers being also out of line with each other and arranged to engage the guide-flanges respectively, whereby the lug on the front hanger passes by and clears the guide-flange for the rear hanger without engagement therewith, and the door can be moved a sufficient distance to completely uncover the opening in the side of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HERBERT D. SMART.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. BARRY, WILLARD C. FoLKs. 

